Methanol poisoning in Laos has claimed six international tourists' lives, including Australian teens Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, after they consumed tainted drinks while backpacking in Vang Vieng.

The deaths of six foreign tourists linked to a suspected mass methanol poisoning has thrown a spotlight on a small town in Southeast Asia that has worked hard in recent years to shed its reputation for excess.

They have stopped serving shots in the backpacker bars of Vang Vieng. The night spots of this south-east Asian tourist town would normally be full of young travellers downing traditional Lao whiskey,